TL;DR – A stunning work of art that captivated me for its entire runtime.

Post-Credit Scene – There is no end-credit scene.

Disclosure – I paid to see this film.

Killers of the Flower Moon Review –

There are some films where you know where you will land when the credits roll, but others still sit with you and reverberate through your brain over the coming days. Today, we look at just such a film that powered through my soul, with performances that were almost once in a generation.

So to set the scene, The Osage Nation had been forced from their homelands by the United States, but as luck or fate would have it, they found oil and became wealthy in this new land. Like any mineral found in human history, there was a rush to the county for those looking for work and making it rich. One such person was Ernest Burkhart (Leonardo DiCaprio), who moved to the area to work with his uncle, William King Hale (Robert De Niro). Here, his uncle subtlety suggests that he marries a local Osage lady because there is a chance that oil headrights could end up with them, which he does with Mollie Kyle (Lily Gladstone). But what if you could help those progressions of headrights towards you with some targeted deaths?

This film is based on the very real Osage Indian murders that occurred in the 1920s and beyond, which has been described as a ‘Reign of Terror’, and for good reason. What happens when you have a murderous conspiracy where the police, sheriffs, doctors, undertakers, lawyers, and judges all work together to, at best, remove as much wealth as they can from the Osage Nation and, at worst, actively kill at least 60 people, and possible hundreds more. Every element of the political and legal structure is manipulated, corrupted, and turned against you. A friendly, supportive face that holds a knife behind their back. The film ensures that you know something is wrong, just when you have started to get comfortable with the setting and before it spirals out of control.

Much has been said about the film’s length, but I never felt that it was drawn out. Every moment captivated me for a multitude of different emotions. It helps that it is a visual masterpiece, which, coming from such an accomplished team, should not be a great surprise. The two bookends of this film involve dance, and they might be some of the most impactful scenes I have witnessed in cinema. Then you have the late Robbie Robertson’s musical score that blends guitars, harmonicas, and traditional drums that perfectly accents the proceedings. Each of these choices heightened my emotions, which made the film fascinating but challenging to watch at times.

Much has been said about the performances in this film, and this might be one of the rare times where the hype was not only warranted but understated. Lily Gladstone is a revelation in a performance that is both quite stoic, yet filled with emotion. She does more with a single look than I have seen some actors do with entire soliloquies. Tantoo Cardinal is a powerhouse, bringing an energy that captivates every moment she is on screen. Leonardo DiCaprio has this fascinating capacity to be frowning in every moment of the film, even when he is smiling. It is a choice that perfectly suits the weasel-like character he plays. Robert De Niro is a force of nature, and it was fascinating watching him perform this almost Gul Dukat role of someone murdering and oppressing a people and then expecting those same people to love him. There is this moment when there is news about the Tulsa Riots, and you just see this slightest expression that he sees them as an opportunity, not a crime.    

To add to this, we have a whole cast of supporting characters giving memorable performances. I could see them taking out the supporting-actor nominations at Oscar time. You have those playing the perpetrators like Louis Cancelmi, Scott Shepherd, Tommy Schultz & Sturgill Simpson, who make it difficult to watch, given how captivating they are. There are Mollie’s family, played by Cara Jade Myers, JaNae Collins & Jillian Dion, who help make the film as uncomfortable as it is because they are impeccable. Then Yancey Red Corn and Talee Redcorn who help ground the film in the righteous anger that it needs. Finally, you get Jesse Plemons, John Lithgow, and Brendan Fraser coming in to chew every part of the scenery.          

While I was captivated by so much of this film, one thing has been sitting with me since I watched the film: this complicated feeling about narrative decisions. This is a story about the active disenfranchisement and murder of a people to usurp their land and their wealth. A story of a community that has been repeatedly moved and disenfranchised that then centres those who did the disenfranchisement felt like it was limiting the depth to which the narrative could go. This is not to take away from the Indigenous actors and the multitude of Osage cultural experts whose work can be seen at every level of production. But it did sit there as a feeling in the week since I watched the film.

In the end, do we recommend Killers of the Flower Moon? Absolutely. It is a stunning film, even when it is hard to watch. It is shining a light on a period of history that needs to be illuminated and is filled with some of the best performances in the business. If you liked Killers of the Flower Moon, we would recommend to you Sweet Country.    

By Brian MacNamara: You can follow Brian on Twitter Here, when he’s not chatting about Movies and TV, he’ll be talking about International Relations, or the Solar System.

Have you watched Killers of the Flower Moon?, let us know what you thought in the comments below, feel free to share this review on any of the social medias and you can follow us Here. Check out all our past reviews and articles Here, and have a happy day. 


Credits – All images were created by the cast, crew, and production companies of Killers of the Flower Moon
Directed by – Martin Scorsese
Screenplay by – Martin Scorsese & Eric Roth
Based on – Killers of the Flower Moon: The Osage Murders and the Birth of the FBI by David Grann
Music by – Robbie Robertson
Cinematography by – Rodrigo Prieto
Edited by – Thelma Schoonmaker
Production/Distribution Companies – Apple Studios, Imperative Entertainment, Sikelia Productions, Appian Way Productions, Paramount Pictures & Apple TV+
Starring – Lily Gladstone, Leonardo DiCaprio, Robert De Niro, Jesse Plemons, Tantoo Cardinal, John Lithgow, Brendan Fraser, Cara Jade Myers, JaNae Collins, Jillian Dion, Jason Isbell, William Belleau, Louis Cancelmi, Scott Shepherd, Everett Waller, Talee Redcorn & Yancey Red Corn, with Tatanka Means, Tommy Schultz, Sturgill Simpson, Ty Mitchell, Gary Basaraba, Charlie Musselwhite, Pat Healy, Steve Witting, Steve Routman, Michael Abbott Jr., Randy Houser, Jack White, Pete Yorn, Larry Sellers, Barry Corbin, Steve Eastin, Katherine Willis, Elden Henson, Gene Jones, Larry Fessenden, Vince Giordano & Martin Scorsese
Rating – Australia: M; Canada: 14A; Germany: 12; New Zealand: M; United Kingdom: 15; United States: R